One blockbuster trade on March 6 was all the Baltimore Ravens needed to overhaul their defensive identity. But before Maxx Crosby’s move to Baltimore was finalized, a doctor’s MRI review changed the NFL’s entire offseason.

The Ravens agreed to send two first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders for Crosby because new head coach Jesse Minter believed that was the key to unlocking Baltimore’s defense. But after the physical, on March 10, the Raiders confirmed the collapse: the Ravens had backed out of the trade. It wasn’t until a day later that Adam Schefter provided the answer nobody expected.

“The Baltimore Ravens essentially failed him on their physical,” Schefter noted. “My understanding is there were multiple doctors that reviewed his MRI scans, there were doctors that examined him, including Dr. Daniel Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys doctor….”

Now, Dr. Cooper, who was among the doctors who warned the Ravens, isn’t just the Cowboys’ team physician. He’s one of the league’s premier knee specialists, based at the Carrell Clinic in Dallas. He notably has over three decades of experience working with NFL stars.

When Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes went down with an ACL & LCL injury in Week 15, it was Dr. Cooper who patched him up.

He also conducted Malik Nabers’ ACL surgery when the New York Giants wide receiver injured himself last season. That same doctor had a say in how Maxx Crosby was faring.

“Many teams and players rely on Dr. Cooper’s expertise,” Schefter noted. “And Dr. Cooper was one of the doctors that reviewed the images where the Ravens then felt compelled to back out of this trade.”

Crosby, 28, gritted through a torn meniscus for 15 games in 2025 before finally taking a step back for the last two weeks. He finished last season with 10 sacks, 73 tackles, and a massive 28 tackles for loss.

Per NFL reporter Jane Slater, the Dallas Cowboys were aggressive in their pursuit of Crosby, but declined to surrender two first-rounders, perhaps already aware of that surgery’s toll.

Crosby, possibly heading to the Ravens, had already shifted the free agency narratives a lot. In fact, he’d even featured in a farewell video where he spoke about how he thought he’d failed the Raiders fans and how he wished he could have delivered more. 

As the deal was agreed upon, NFL teams moved on to other players and played around with cap math to help them be their best. But that failed physical didn’t just strand Baltimore, it triggered a chain reaction that reshuffled the entire 2026 pass-rusher market.

Ripple effects of the Maxx Crosby trade misfire

Trey Hendrickson, the former Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher, was the biggest name in the market after Crosby. Hendrickson’s asking price, bolstered by the new contracts Jaelan Phillips and Danielle Hunter got, remained stuck at $30 million a year while speculations mounted about whether any team would be willing to match his price.

But Baltimore didn’t hesitate. With the Crosby route blocked, the Ravens agreed to terms with the 4x Pro Bowler on a four-year, $112 million contract, with incentives that could balloon his payday to $120 million.

Hendrickson got his price, and Baltimore kept the two first-round picks they had earmarked for Crosby while landing the market’s top pass rusher. 

Hendrickson, 31, led the league with 17.5 sacks in both 2023 and 2024. His 2025 campaign was cut short by a hip/pelvis injury that limited him to seven games and 4.0 sacks. Now, another Ravens physical awaits before the deal is final. 

Meanwhile, the Cowboys acted fast as well, knowing the market was depleting. Dallas acquired Rashan Gary from the Green Bay Packers for a 2027 fourth-round pick. Gary’s Green Bay tenure overlapped with the new Dallas defensive coordinator Christian Parker in 2019-2020.

That familiarity will now help Gary establish himself in Dallas. But Gary is just one piece of the puzzle. Dallas is now expected to look elsewhere for additional pass-rush depth.

As for Maxx Crosby, the Ravens’ backing out seems to have spooked the other franchises out of seeking a trade. So now he returns to Las Vegas against his wishes. But don’t count him out just yet. Neal ElAttrache, Crosby’s surgeon, has already shared an update on his rehab.

“Maxx Crosby is doing very well in the early part of his rehab and recovery from surgery to treat a significant meniscus tear and the related stress injury to the bone and cartilage in his knee,” ElAttrache shared with ESPN. “He is certainly on track in his planned program. … He feels very well and is already much improved compared to before surgery.”

ElAttrache further commended the Ravens for how they handled Crosby and empathized with the current situation. But he also dropped another positive update right after.

“We truly respect the work of the Ravens staff with Maxx regarding the contract physical exam. We also understand the challenge the staff faces when tasked to provide a future risk assessment based on an evaluation early in the recovery process,” ElAttrache added. “This is especially challenging when dealing with an elite player like Maxx considering the level of commitment necessary for a team to obtain him. The timing of this assessment is unfortunate because the apparent risk will lessen as his recovery progresses and his return to performance over the next few months becomes clear.”

Crosby’s failed physical didn’t just kill one trade, it forced an entire market to reset overnight. Despite the last-minute pull-out, Baltimore managed to land a pass rusher. Dallas found Gary, and Crosby’s on the road to recovery. Once Crosby is back at 100%, trade speculations might once again spark up.

Crosby has already fought through 15 games’ worth of pain. Now, when he gets the chance, he’s going to work to make Baltimore regret passing him up.